Pat McAfee Kicking Contest on "College Game Day" A student who mocked kickers shanked a $120,000 field goal attempt in Pat McAfee’s Kicking Contest Saturday. Photo Credit: College GameDay
By Arthur Weinstein on

Pat McAfee’s Kicking Contest is one of the must-see portions of ESPN’s College GameDay, and Saturday’s edition did not disappoint.

Appearing at the University of South Carolina ahead of the showdown between the Gamecocks and No. 16 LSU, McAfee invited South Carolina sophomore Joshua Watson to try a 33-yard kick.

The stakes started out at $45,000, but quickly rose to $120,000 after singer Darius Rucker, a CGD guest, offered to add $15,000. Then he and McAfee noted Watson wore a “Walk-On for Jake” T-shirt touting the Jake Panus Scholarship for walk-on athletes. So they decided to chip in another $60,000 toward that scholarship if Watson made the kick.

Watson invited some very bad karma when he mocked kickers before his attempt, saying, “It’s just so easy, it’s not a sport.” He then admitted he had never kicked a football before, but vowed “I’m gonna make it, because it’s easy.”

“All the trash you talked on kickers,” McAfee said, as Watson lined up for the kick.

Watson shanked his attempt; his shoe somehow flew further than the football.

The miss set McAfee off.

“Worst kick of all time!” he repeated several times.

The kick was so bad that analyst Kirk Herbstreit even joined in on the mockery.

“We’ve had some s***** kickers, that was embarrassing,” Herbstreit said.


McAfee has been known to give kickers a second chance after a big miss, but that generosity probably will never be extended to anyone who mocks kickers. McAfee still donated $60,000 to the scholarship fund.

[Pat McAfee]

About Arthur Weinstein

Arthur spends his free time traveling around the U.S. to sporting events, state and national parks, and in search of great restaurants off the beaten path.

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